August 31, 1907: The Triple Entente

August 31, 1907: The Anglo-Russian Convention is signed in St. Petersburg, capital of the Russian Empire. This completes a three-way alliance between the Russian Empire, the British Empire, and the French Third Republic. It becomes known as the Triple Entente. An "entente" is defined as a "friendship," an "understanding," or an "agreement." 

It was built upon the Franco-Russian Alliance, signed in 1894; and the Entente Cordiale between Britain and France, signed in 1904. It was designed not just to settle previous disputes between Britain and Russia, which had included the Crimean War of 1853-56, but to unify these 3 leading nations against the Triple Alliance. That had been concluded in 1882 between the German Empire, the Austrian Empire, and the Kingdom of Italy.

Now, all 6 nations understood: An attack on one nation on one side by a nation on the other side would be considered an attack by all three against all three. Seven years later, the dominoes fell: A Serbian nationalist assassinated the heir to the Austrian throne, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, Russia assisted its Serbian ally and declared war on Austria-Hungary, Germany assisted its ally and declared war on Russia, France declared war on Germany, and Britain followed. What would become known as World War I had begun.

When it was over, the German, Austrian, Russian and Ottoman Empires were no more; Britain had been seriously weakened; and France had lost nearly an entire generation of young men to death, disfigurement, or post-traumatic stress disorder. Even America, which got into the war later, was irrevocably changed in many ways, and not all of them for the better. Even the winners had lost something.

That does not mean that it would have been better to simply let Germany have its way. The world found that out 20 years later.

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August 31, 1907 was a Saturday. These baseball games were played:

* The New York Highlanders lost to the Philadelphia Athletics, 3-0 at Hilltop Park in Upper Manhattan. Charles "Chief" Bender pitched a 3-hit shutout to beat Jack Chesbro. Danny Murphy of the A's got 3 hits (and an RBI) all by himself. Willie Keeler got 1 of the Highlanders' hits. The Highlanders became the Yankees in 1913.

* The New York Giants swept a doubleheader from the Boston Doves, 3-2 and 9-6 at the 1894-1914 version of the South End Grounds in Boston. Christy Mathewson pitched all 12 innings to win the opener. The nightcap was called due to darkness in the 7th inning, with Joe McGinnity as the winning pitcher. The Doves were named for their owner, George Dovey. In 1912, they became the Boston Braves.

* The Brooklyn Superbas were leading the Philadelphia Phillies, 7-3 at National League Park (later renamed Baker Bowl) in Philadelphia, when the game was called due to rain. The Superbas, named for their former manager, Ned Hanlon, and a popular circus troupe of the era, Hanlon's Superbas, became the Dodgers in 1911.

* The Washington Senators beat the Boston Americans, 1-0 at American League Park in Washington. Hank Gehring pitched a 2-hit shutout, while 2 Boston pitchers allowed only 3. The Americans became the Red Sox the next season.

* The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-4 in 13 innings at Exposition Park in Pittsburgh. Honus Wagner went 3-for-5 with a walk and an RBI.

* The Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Naps were tied, 2-2 in the 8th inning, at the 1891-1909 version of League Park in Cleveland, when the game was called due to rain. Napoleon "Nap" Lajoie, the 2nd baseman and manager for whom the future Indians and Guardians were then named, went 2-for-3 with a walk.

* The Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds, 2-1 at The Palace of the Fans in Cincinnati.

* And the Detroit Tigers beat the St. Louis Browns, 5-0 at Bennett Park in Detroit. Ty Cobb went 2-for-3.